Educational challenges in the protection of biodiversity

O proceso de empobrecemento da biodiversidade da Terra é, xuntamente co Cámbio Climático, a maior ameaza ambiental que enfrenta a humanidade na actualidade, e vai condicionar gravemente as suas expectivas de benestar futuro. Neste artigo sinálase por qué a biodiversidade é importante, por que se degrada, as potenciais consecuencias desa degradación, así como as dificultades que plantexa tanto sensibilizar á opinión pública sobre a gravidade do problema como comprometela a poñer freo a este proceso e cambiar a tendencia. Apóntanse algunhas posibilidades e liñas de traballo para que a educación ambiental, en canto instrumento social, poida constribuir neste ámbito. Xurdida para facer fronte á crise ambiental, a educación ambiental atopouse desde os seus inicios con desafíos que sobardan as súas posibilidades reais como ferramenta para o cámbio. Porén, conta con instrumentos, recursos e experiencia para facer aportacións relevantes no camiño de tentar cambiar as tendencias ecocidas.The process of impoverishment of the biodiversity of the Earth is, along with that of Climate Change, the greatest environmental threat which faces humanity at the present time, and which is going to seriously condition our expectations for future well-being. This article aims to point out why biodiversity is important, why it is degraded, the potential outcome of such degradation, as well as the difficulties involved both in informing public opinion about the serious nature of the problem and about involving the public in the checking of this process and in a change of such a tendency. Some possibilities and lines of work will be suggested for environmental education which, as a social instrument, could make acontribution in this field. As something which has arisen from the need to face up to this environmental crisis, environmental education has faced, sinced its origins, a series of challenges which which outreach its real possibilities as an instrument for change.As such, it relies upon instruments, resources and experience in order to make relevant contributions as a means of trying to change the tendencies undergone